Characterisation and Quantification of Nanoplastics in the Environment Using Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Project:

Nano-sized plastic particles are a ubiquitous environmental contaminants of emerging concern. Comprised of a complex mixture of different polymers and  associated additives, these particles of below 1 µm in size are hypothesised to be either released directly into the environment or the result of fragmentation of larger plastic items. A first step in informing an assessment of whether nanoplastics pose a risk to the environment is to quantify their presence in several key environmental compartments. For particle sizes below 1 µm, asymmetric flow field flow fractionation (AF4) shows potential to effectively characterise particle size and shape. Coupling asymmetric AF4 with thermal decomposition (pyrolysis) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS - Shimadzu) methods will allow for full characterisation of the nanoplastic fractions in environmental samples. This project will develop, validate, and apply AF4-Pyrolysis-GC/MS methods to allow Shimadzu to be a technology provider to comprehensively characterise nanoplastics in water and urban air, by size, identifying polymer type and quantifying the amount of each polymer present.

Selection Criteria

To be eligible to apply, you must meet the entry requirements for Higher Degrees by Research at UQ.

Enquiries

For further information, please contact Prof Kevin Thomas

How to apply

Please submit your cover letter, CV, academic transcript and English proficiency score (if applicable) to Prof Kevin Thomas